


From a Certain Point of View

by Of_Lights_and_Shadows



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Competent Tony Stark, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Interviews, Morally Ambiguous Character, Morally Ambiguous Tony Stark, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Stark Charm™ in Action, Steve Rogers Isn't An Idiot, Thaddeus Ross Gets What He Deserves, Tony Being Tony, no character bashing applies, possible bullshitting on criminal sentences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-27 11:24:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17765882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Of_Lights_and_Shadows/pseuds/Of_Lights_and_Shadows
Summary: Making others see his point of view is easy, when Tony actively tries to.[Takes place after Shi_Toyu's Whose Side Are You On?]





	From a Certain Point of View

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shi_Toyu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_Toyu/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Whose Side Are You On?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17528195) by [Shi_Toyu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_Toyu/pseuds/Shi_Toyu). 



> Shi_Toyu wrote an amazingly inspiring piece! Read it!
> 
> Disclaimer: I'm not familiar with US law and what can get you life imprisonment. Treason is generally one of those things to land you jailed for life. Ross deserves all the punishment he can get and I feel no remorse in adding 312310 things in his list of offences.

 

The interview is, as expected, broadcasted worldwide. As a respected member of both the business world and the hero community, many expect what he has to say. Mostly, of course, to see him mess up. The whole "Civil War" situation is pretty messed up by itself. The Avengers are still salvagable as an idea. Certain members, less so. It's not his job to neither advocate, nor judge or condemner.

Some battles, such as this one, isn't won by literal weapons, actual force. Battles like these require a more subtle form of fighting, and it's one game he knows well. And so, he takes inventory of his 'ammunition' for it: Expensive business suit in dark blue, no tie, well-fitted. Practiced words to expected questions. Readiness for adaption in case of unexpected ones. That billion dollar smile the media loves to hate and hates to love.

Camera noises erupt before he even finds himself in the podium, a thunderous prelude to the show that's about to begin.

 

 

-//-

 

Steve (along with the Avengers that decided to follow him) watch the press conference and they're surprised (at best), to see Tony take the podium. Questions thrown and answered pass through their ears, hastily given and fastly replied to. Unless, of course the crucial ones come to the front.

 _"How have you come to be on the Accords Council Mr. Stark?"_ a reporter asks, and Steve is surprised. Tony? On the Accords Council?

 _"After the arrest of General Ross, I was approached by the Council to temprorarily fill the power vacuum, so  to speak."_  he gives his seemingly flawless reply.  _"He's received a sentence of life imprisonment for treason and extensive violation of human rights."_ His words make waves amongst everyone present.  _"Under his unethical practices, many have suffered. Their wish for retribution is rightfully just. Anything more than that, however, would drag those hurt down to the level of a madman, and is a burden no one wishes to impose on them."_

The impact of those words is obvious.

Steve has a feeling that this was done for Bruce.

_"While working with the Council, you won't be seeing Iron Man taking in the skies. Perhaps longer."_

_"Is this to avoid a conflict of interest?"_ another asks.

 _"I'm an old man"_ he jokes, and the room laughs along him,  _"my retirement from being Iron Man was about to happen sooner or later. It's simply unfortunate timing."_

 

Tony was retiring? From what Steve could understand, Tony absolutely  _ **loved**_ being Iron Man. The way it's phrased makes it sound like it was planned a long time ago, but was that true?

 

 _"What about the Rogue Avengers?"_ and that question snaps his attention back to the interview.

There's a visible scowl in Tony's face that reminds Steve of Howard, and cringes. In that moment, Tony reminds him too much of Howard. What followed after that expression was someone being called an idiot, with varying levels of vocal force.

Tony proves himself to be better in schooling his own expressions because, a moment later, he smiles as if nothing had changed.

 _"It would be most favourable for them to return."_ he replies, pausing for a moment, perhaps for a dramatic effect.  _"Should they return, they're to go through physical and psychological evaluation, before they stand trial."_ Some in the crowd mumble in displeasure.  _"I understand the need of heroes. However, heroes are people, not gods, and should not be treated as above other people, or above the law."_

 _"Trials and evaluations aside, should they so wish, they can resume being Avengers."_ The murmurs are silenced at that, more curiocity than anything else.  _"They are, of course, to fall under the same rules as all do, both old and new."_

_"Is there a set area of operations for the Avengers?"_

_"It's expected for the Avengers to act solely within US soil and territories unless requested otherwise. The EU, specifically, has taken to create their own teams, and wish for joint trainning operations in preparation of possible future collaborations--"_

 

Steve tries to come to understanding to what he's heard. Politics are a complicated and messy business to get a hold to. On one hand, the whole deal sounds too good to be true, an elaborate trap decorated with pretty words. On the other hand... On the other hand, a trial back home sounds like the lesser of many evils, different trials, on different nations, some of which would purposedly show their ugly fangs just  **because** he's Captain America. It's also probably a wisest decision to make plans and leave as soon as possible, instead of overstaying their welcome.

He thinks it's Clint that comments on "swaying the public opinion" and characterizes it as "villainous" and perhaps that's true... from a certain point of view, that is. It's happened that the public opinion has made false judgements before, either by being positive to atrocities or apathetic to them. It's true that people in power can be corrupt but if heroes don't trust the people, how can they expect the people to trust them?

Someone (Wanda?) complains this was Tony's plan all along: upon their return, they're either found "mentally unfit" and locked up, or stand trial, found guilty, and locked up. A justified fear but Steve wants to believe in Tony to not backstab them like that.

 

-//-

 

"They've arrived."

Tony Stark looks up from his massive amount of paperwork, and smiles. It's the small, tired, quiet kind of smile that one has when finally,  _finally_ , something goes the way they wanted.

"Let's go greet our wayward sons back home, shall we?"


End file.
